Ivory tower or wage-slave salt mine?

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/10/2014 (4019 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

How fair is it to be just as qualified as your colleagues, yet paid one-third less per hour to do essentially the same work? How would you feel if you knew months ahead of time your employer would soon let you go, without any obligation to call you back, even when there are jobs available?

How fair is it to be forced to take employment paying almost one-third less than your previous job (and for which you were overqualified), simply because you could not secure a permanent position in your field of expertise within mere weeks of a layoff?

You might think temporary employment is, well, temporary. That it is for students, recent immigrants and others working at a local store or restaurant until they finish their education, upgrade their skills or get their credentials recognized. You might even think it is simply a choice, for those who decide to leave school without gaining high qualifications.

In reality, precarious work has become so entrenched it spans all age groups, gender, level of education and economic sectors, as recent research from the Poverty and Employment Precarity in Southern Ontario (PEPSO) project demonstrates. Far from a temporary situation, PEPSO shows how precarious work has become the “new normal.”

While just about half of workers younger than 24 are part-timers, the majority of workers in precarious work in Canada are now over 25. Precarious work is no longer for those with fewer credentials and in low-paying jobs.

It is now found in every sector of the economy, and it is all too common even among those who provide key public services such as health care and education.

In Canadian universities and colleges, one out of three professors is forced to bounce from contract to contract, or work only part time, for many years on end. They don’t know whether, or what, they will teach in a given semester. Few receive any compensation when their contracts are cancelled at the last minute. Many are not even given library cards so they can prepare properly before classes start. Many don’t have access to a phone or an office to adequately support students. Without a pension or health benefits, they are paid significantly less than their full-time, permanent colleagues. Many cannot access employment insurance benefits while unemployed, even though they pay into the program.

None of this happens because they have lesser academic credentials, or because their skills or field of study do not match the employer’s needs, or because they are victims of globalization. Each one of these workers is extremely qualified, and they work for post-secondary institutions that are known to be highly competitive worldwide. Furthermore, these are dedicated workers who will often work many extra unpaid hours to ensure the success of their students and their institutions, from holding additional office hours to writing student references.

Every October, the growth of casual, precarious, insecure and often low-paid work is highlighted during events and activities in Canada and around the world. More than 1,000 workers came together in Toronto earlier this month to look at ways to increase the number of good jobs in Canada. This week — Fair Employment Week — contract and regular academic staff across Canada joined students and others in their communities to plot strategy to stop and mitigate what is known as the casualization of work.

Let’s bring fairness back into the workplace. Employers, including those who administer universities and colleges, should not be allowed to pay workers less simply because they do not have a permanent job status. All workers should be provided with the same tools and the same benefits while doing the same job. Especially in times of surplus, the federal government should improve access to EI benefits and not penalize those who cannot secure a permanent job in their field of expertise.

Federal and provincial governments should work together to promote good, stable jobs.

And finally, we should all ask ourselves what can be done to stop the casualization of work, increase job security and reduce income inequalities, making Canada a better place to live and work for everyone.

 

Robin Vose is the president of the Canadian Association of University Teachers.